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De Clérambault's Syndrome—A Nosological Entity?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

Peter Ellis  and
Graham Mellsop
Peter Ellis
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Medicine, Wellington Clinical School of Medicine, Wellington Hospital, Wellington, New Zealand
Graham Mellsop
Affiliation:
Wellington Clinical School of Medicine, University of Otago
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Summary

The consistency of de Clérambault's syndrome and its relationship to other diagnostic labels is examined in terms of operational criteria derived from the original description of the syndrome. Five new cases of erotic delusions are examined, and 53 cases reported in the recent literature are reviewed; none of these completely satisfies the diagnostic criteria, while the majority of patients actually suffered from another disorder, most commonly schizophrenia. The justification for the retention of the syndrome as a nosological entity is discussed, and it is argued that the term should be seen as principally of historical interest.

Type
Brief Reports
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 146 , Issue 1 , January 1985 , pp. 90 - 93
Copyright
Copyright © 1985 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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